France: so hot everyone is smoking

trop

2011-05-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Je ne vois rien
Il n'y a que Blanc
Devant mes yeux

Y a-t-il un rideau?
C'est le brouillard?
Non, c'est toi.

T'es trop brillant
Trop parfait
trop ...

J'essaie
Mais je sais fort bien
Tu m'es intouchable

Pour le moment

From Elley to Ronny

2010-06-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Dearest Ronny,

Do you remember about a month ago (May 3 to be exact), we had a gtalk convo about how you had to go through spring quarter by yourself this year? Then you wrote:

"it's this weather... bringing back lazy memories"

and I said, oh! that makes me want to write a poem?

Well, on the way home from work... I actually wrote that poem! haha But I didn't share it until now... out of sheer forgetfulness! (Mea culpa)

"Printemps"

The sun and the smell of spring
Flowers on my desk with a little note
from you
Staring at the ceiling
Sharing our dreams
We flop onto our beds
Like 2 pieces of toro slapped onto the cutting board
The dust specks look like crystals floating into the light

Spring is here again
The sun and the scent
the same
But our dreams of yesterday have gone away
Another year
More memories

We both feel the languor brought by the rays' warmth
Together and apart
"It's this weather... bringing back lazy memories"

>Kkeut<

I know that I just off the phone with you, but I really wanted to say how much I really cherish you as a sister in Christ and a confidante. Remember the beginning of last summer when you got mad because I was so tight-lipped? HAHA (Don't deny it... hee hee) Well, you showed me that it's okay to open up and share. And when I do, you always say what I hoped someone would say, and I always walk away feeling loads better. Even just tonight's convo, I felt sane while explaining my wigging out moments to you, and every word you said was just what I needed to hear. Oh, and I get very happy when you can confide in me, too. Tee hee. Especially those funny and embarrassing stories... hhahaha :D

The past year has been pretty hard for me, too many transitions to count. Not to mention that my roomie of 4 years was no longer there every day to hug and bug and pray with. Job hunt, the grad school fiasco, family things, church stresses, but through it all I knew I could talk to you. Thanks for all the times you waited and prayed anxiously with me for news about all the happenings in Nor Cal and for calming me down during those roller coasters. It must have been hard making time for me amidst getting the life forces sucked out of you by the educational leech also known as the UCLA MSW program, but please know I truly appreciated it.

Hopefully you're reading this as a study break... or not... haha Remember, I'm the WORST study buddy ever. Tee hee! I can't stop doing my job just because I graduated, now can I? :)

Okay. This is cheesy, but whatever. I love you so much, my darling Ronny baby bunker boo. I thank God everyday for matching us up freshman year! Yippee yai kai yay!

Love,
Elley

Hi.

2009-11-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hello hello. "How have you been?"

I haven't written in eons, but I am still alive! I think...

Lately I feel so indifferent and yet ambivalent about choices and events in my life. I don't like it. I want to feel alive. I want to be vibrant and vivacious... but I just feel lost and insignificant.

The funny thing is that I definitely have been embracing God's message that He is all we need. Good grades, a job, etc, are all things that help us survive or that can deserve merit, but God is really the only need I have that cannot be qualified subjectively for me. So why do I feel so down?

Psalm 43:5 spoke out to me this week:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Yes, I want to praise Him! Yes, I want to put all of my hope into Him. And yet... what am I doing? I feel like a shell. I feel like I have nothing to look forward to. I am only human.

I wonder what I've gone and done to myself to change into this person I barely recognize... suffering from sleepless nights. Since when has smiling become a chore? I won't give up, I won't give in... but for today I will give it up to God. It's too strong for me today... and I wonder if it'll be okay if I pray that prayer again tomorrow...

i'm DONE.

2009-06-08T00:44:00.001-07:00

i sent in my last final paper a couple hours ago. AU REVOIR, UNDERGRAD.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And yet, I am still incredulous. Wow. It's OVER?! WHAT THEEEEEEEEEE.

8D

Floating

2009-05-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
So I didn't announce it in my blog, but I think I will now... I ended up revoking my application from the internship in France for hotel managing, because the company was being very disorganized. They also glazed over a lot of important questions I had concerning living arrangements, dates I would go, which VISA to get... so ... CACA SUR VOUS!!! Too bad that doesn't make me feel any better about losing my principal chance to going back to France... sigh

I've been reading over my old blogs, and I realized... I really like blogging and reading over things. LOL So! I think I might spend more time on here! (Can I get a Yee haw???) Also! I realized that it might be interesting for me to upload entries from my diary while I was traveling. That way it could be an awesome travel blog, yea? Maybe some people can learn more about life in France, and in Europe in general, since I did do some extensive traveling. :)

Just a thought.

But man... I would just like a job that incorporates French, helping others, and anything that is not a desk-job or cubicle-related. I'm just floating until God presents me with an opportunity...

OH! SHARON GOT INTO USC GRAD PROGRAM! WHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO HAPPY FOR HERRR~! and I knew she could do it; she's so smart and awesome! Only the best roomies get into the best grad programs! hahah :D

Ok, time to get ready before class! Being a student is so hard especially during Week 8 of SPRING quarter... we're all just counting down until summer... or in my case... GRADUATION! YEEEAAA YUHHHHHHHH!

Gros bisous!

-Michelle

Waiting for my Easytones is not an easy thing to do.

2009-05-17T17:21:00.001-07:00

Nooooo!!! You can't make meeeeeeeee... write my paper. -_-

I have yet another paper to poop out (as Sharon puts it, haha). This is getting to be super draining. It's hot to boot. Which makes me want to run and frolic outside, which I already did today! :)

Today was our annual Outdoor Service at church. Whheeee! The weather was gorgeous!! <3

Prayer requests:
Deda and Mario's health
Unni's wedding (bachelorette weekend)
Moving out/Moving in logistics
Sharon's grad school decision
San Leandro Hospital
job hunt

So many things on my mind lately, I feel bogged down, physically and mentally. Unfortunately, I was born with the odd superpower of NOT being able to take a nap. I've taken around 3 or 4 in my lifetime, and they range from 2 minutes to 5 hours. (Just some interesting stats for you...)

La dee dee dee!! My goal for summer is to lose 5 more pounds, I am so close to my goal!! :D And it's not to be freaky deaky skinny, it's for health. I want to just feel light and dance-y fresh anytime, all the time! :)

I just bought new Reebok Easytone shoes. I AM SO EXCITED. I actually saved up to buy them, so I am impatiently waiting for them. Eeek!

When I get them I will definitely write a review on them. These shoes are special, because they are built in a way that while you walk around you are working out specific muscles and getting toned. I mean, I walk EVERYWHERE, so I might as well get definition in my tushie and legs while I do it. I cannnot waiiiittt!! (But, obviously I can wait, since I'm waiting right now. And now. And now...)

I am looking forward to this summer. I want to move back home. I want to just chill and relax. And I want to start a new chapter of my life... my career! Yessss.... I know God is waiting to put me in touch with my true calling, and I am eager to find out what it is! :)

Please pray that I can stay calm and patient as He gets it all ready!!

Okily dokily, time to TRY and extend this paper another page. (WHEW)

Gros bisous,

Michelle

Happy Mother's Day! @-/--

2009-05-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Umma's Day!!

Today at church, a couple that just had twin girls gave their testimony and it was really heart-wrenching. They talked about how hard they tried to have children and that they made themselves vulnerable to God to and to our church, and that was when God was able to reach out and bless them with their children. They also faced a miscarriage. I couldn't believe it since I knew the father of the girls and was always so bright and happy. Thank You, God for blessing them with children. If I know anyone who deserves to have children, it's Ji and Nancy. <3

I was a bit tired today, so sorry if I seemed out of it at church. I couldn't sleep very well last night, and I even found myself sleeping on the mat with the babies during daycare. It's okay, it's safe to leave your babies with me!! ;)

Taking care of babies is HARD work, so you should all REALLY thank your mommas for putting up with you (and your dads too, today and next month!).

Here are some pictures of my momma and me:

Well. That makes me depressed. I just found out that the last time I took a picture WITH my mom was WAY too long ago... ;_; But, until I get home and bombard her with my camera, enjoy the pics of my beauuuutiful mother, who taught my sister and me to be strong women who can do anything! :D Just like herrrrrrrrr!!!

Don't be like me and take some pictures with the lady that loves you most! <3

ughhhhhhh

2009-05-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

That is basically how I would describe how I feel: "ughhhhh". Slept around 5 am thanks to my last midterm of several that is due today! Yayy! I'm done!!! :D

Anyways, last night around 4am to 4:15am until 4:30am I was trying to sleep but I kept hearing planes. I thought, that's odd, we don't live near LAX or anything... it was the sound of helicopters! I'm not sure if there was one or two, but they were hovering around our apartment and their lights were whirling about next door looking for something or someone...

What could it be?

Due to the lack of information on this, here is my blog to chronicle this event that has not gone unnoticed by my insomniac roomie and me! ;)

SENIORITIS at its finest!

2009-04-28T22:31:00.001-07:00

Okkkk!! So I have three papers due next week and I spent the night reading for an assignment due in a couple weeks. Hahaha :P

Then, I took a facebook quiz on which Super Junior member is my bf/hubby...

I got Si Won, of course! hahahaha

Ok, I should really start getting to work. Now. Right... now. Or soon.

Yahhh!! How about an update on life?

I've fallen into a state of sadness, no, not depression, sadness. What am I going to do next year? I have no idea. I'm so scared. I feel so uncertain-- and I hate it.
The only thing keeping me up and going is faith that everything will fall into place. Psalm 121!! God won't let my feet slip and He is constantly watching over me-- so what have I to fear? Nothing! Right? Then why do I care so much? Sigh

I am definitely looking forward to moving back to NorCal, no more smoggy days and awful traffic. But also, no more UCLA, scenery, fun nightlife, chill hangouts with friends... no more college. ;_; I'm having a crisis... what do I want? What do I have to look forward to?

Well, I am also looking forward to spending this summer with family. Helping my beautiful sister with her wedding. Hanging out with my parents and grandma. I'm also excited about getting integrated into a church that is nearby! As much as I LOVE LHCC, it's so far, it was really a challenge getting involved, and also the fact that I am car-less REALLLLLY didn't help.

Hm... it feels good to write all this out. I'm not sure if anyone reads this either, so I'll just let loose! haha

I have to write a paper, but the professor puts on so many restrictions and things we have to include, that it doesn't feel like a paper. I feel like I just add random junk so that I can check mark it off. Like "causal phrase... check... okay, now add in a comparative clause... check..." Ugh! No creativity! How boring! I don't even want to start the oppression.

My other paper is just going to be long, but it is do-able. (It's comparing 2 Afro-francophone poems... one of them is my favorite we studied in class! Yes!)

The other paper is a 2-3 page paper on basically any reading we covered in class. I'm also taking the class Pass/No Pass... so not too much pressure there. But there is no incentive! Augh! Also, the professor is one of those let-me-ask-for-your-opinion-and-then-not-really-care-about-it professors. I'm not sure what to write. I just feel kinda stuck, you know?

Waiting in response for job applications/offers is really stressing me out, too. All in due time, though!! I believe it!!!

God, please continue to bless my family and friends... and help me to keep faith, Lord. I need You more than ever! <+3

Last quarter...

2009-04-23T00:11:00.001-07:00

Hi hi!! I cannot believe I am going to be graduating in T-minus 6 weeks! O_O

Lots of changes have been going on recently, and the only reason I can cope is those moments when I get a grip and pray. I quit my part-time job, so I will : 1) have more free time!!, 2) have less money, 3) be less tired and stressed, 4) sleep a LOT, and 5) wake up earlier and work out more often and be a better student!!! hahah I had to group all of my favorite stuff at the end ;P

Anyways! I had a fantastic weekend with my sister who came to visit LA, but this week at school has been ROUGH. I have so much homework I feel like I'm drowning in it. Plus it's my last week at work, so I'm trying to get as many hours in as possible without dying. I just keep telling myself it's my last week so that I can keep on truckin'... but for real... I am collapsing inside!! Ahh!! So much reading, writing, THINKING.

Ok, so since I'm writing on this blog that must mean that I am not doing homework! Alrighty, I will go back to hwwwww.... Yayyyyyyyy.... Waking up extra early for the past couple days to do homework is poopy, but that's what I get for stretching myself too thin with extracurrics and school. Sigh.

Look forward to next week when I am more bubbly and jobless!!! :D

GLAY live in the US: VERB Tour 2008

2008-08-17T21:15:00.001-07:00

August 12, 15, and 16, 2008 will go down in history as the 3 most spectacular concerts in J-Rock History. (Well, at least in my book)

Glay, "BELOVED" J-Rock band celebrated their 20th year as a band by FINALLY coming to the United States. And much to my happiness they toured in California, where I live! And even better, they went to both cities where I live!!!!! (Kudos to whoever planned this out) And in case you still need one, disclaimer: this blog is completely biased! haha

It all started near the end of July when I was at a boba shop with friends when I went to grab some napkins and saw a poster announcing Glay's VERB Tour in the US. Safe to say, I freaked out of my brains and called my sister (aka fellow Glay lover) and she, my super duper awesome Unni, went and bought the tickets right away! Despite the fact that tickets starting selling June 22, it wasn't sold out, which was surprising, and left me delighted that I had tickets but disappointed that more people didn't duke it out to get these tickets for such a special show (Glay's first appearance in the U.S.... HELLOO~~~!!!)

Ok, ok, now I will describe the concert at the Fillmore, Glay's FIRST concert in the US!!! Welcome!!! :D Doors opened at 7pm, and the concert was at 8. I got there in line around 2, and I wasn't the first. I wasn't even close enough to the entrance to see Glay when they entered the venue. But I was close enough to hear the screaming and I ran over in time to get photographed by their tour photographer. (But darnit I wanted to wave at them!)

I made some really nice friends in line! On my left were 2 male Glay fans who were super sweet and just as excited as me to get inside, and on my right were 2 female Glay fans who came all the way from Japan to see them! I found out later that they made the trip to California because even though they see Glay all the time in Japan, 1) the concerts in Cali were so much smaller, it's a really rare thing to be able to see them only 5 feet in front of you, 2) tickets are pretty cheap (although I bet the plane tickets weren't!), and 3) this was true of my 2 new friends, they had gone to every single of Glay's tours, why miss it now?

the 2 male fans and me(Ian and Philip)

The Fillmore is a beautiful theater that has a 20's vintage style. The standing area was vast, so there was enough space to move around-- but not in the very front (as is true of all moshpits). My sister opted for the balcony ("best seats in the house" said a staff member) while I opted for the moshpit, because heck, who knows the next time they'll come to SF, I want to see their freaking pores damnit! So I did. :)

Once inside I stood with the 2 male Glay fans and we each said which Glay song we wanted to hear/see the most: I said Soul Love and Ikiteku Tsuyosa, Philip said Glorious, and Ian said Kanojo no Modern. We were in the 4th row and weren't close enough to see the set list. So I learned something new: bands put set lists on the floor so they don't forget the order. For this concert it was on the floor in the form of a glow in the dark sticker! Sweet!
Okay, so things were running 15 minutes late, and there were a lot false alarms, as people came out to tune the instruments and whatnot (making us think they were the actual members!! Hidoiiiiii!), but as soon as the lights turned off... MAN! Let the screaming and craziness begin! I couldn't help but go crazy as I saw the silhouettes move across the stage. Everyone could immediately make out the figures just by the hair and the gestures... it was GREAT. (Being a Glay fan for about 10 years would definitely pay off if there were such thing as a silhouette guessing contest! lol) They appeared across the stage left to right in their "usual" spots: Takuro, Teru, Jiro, and Hisashi. I could not and still almost cannot believe it. I saw them. Wow. This has been a dream of mine since I was in middle school! And now... REALLY?! O_O

Oh yea, photos weren't permitted so I have no pictures, sorry! But, when I got home I did my best to make sketches of their outfits, because C'MON I love their outfits! For their hair Jiro was blonde (my fave), Hisashi had black hair with blonde tips that fanned out, Teru was natural black, and Takuro had his usual pretty shade of brown. Sigh. So cool.

I say Hisashi won, he had a blazer where one side was a bell-sleeve and the other side was sleeveless, but he was wearing a fishnet long sleeve... so awesome. Also he gets props, because his bell sleeve kept flapping around while he was strumming but he kept on trucking! Yay!

Here is the set list (which you can find on their myspace):

1.VERB
2.YUWAKU
3.GLORIOUS
4.IKITEKU TSUYOSA
5.GIANT STRONG FAUST SUPER STAR
6.STARLESS NIGHT
7.AMERICAN INNOVATION
8.Lock on you
9.SORRY LOVE
10.HOWEVER
11.KUCHIBIRU
12.KANOJO NO "Modern..."
13.SHUTTER SPEEDS NO THEMA
14.PEAK HATESHI NAKU SOUL KAGIRI NAKU
15.BEAUTIFUL DREAMER

Encore
1.SOUL LOVE
2.ROCK'N'ROLL SWINDLE

3.SUFFRAGETTE CITY 4.ACID HEAD

As you can see from the set list... they played all freaking 4 songs that my friends and I wanted to hear. Wow. Thank You, God!!!! Ahh!! But of course, all of the songs were freaking awesome. And amidst all the fans around me belting out the songs, I could still make out Teru's voice. If you think the members sound great on CD seeing them live is 1,000 times better. I mean REALLY. Teru = charisma. He made the songs come ALIVE. It was very cute! Teru did little sexy dances that seriously made me want to scream out in laughter. He is SO CUTE (and pretty damn hot). He danced around the stage and winked and blew kisses at a few lucky fans (even males! haha). In fact, I waved at him to come down and he smiled and waved at me to come up (I WISH). Teru kept drinking out of his water bottle and spitting out the water on the audience, an action that is otherwise pretty groddy, was actually very heartily welcomed by the fans. LOL (I did my best to avoid the spittle spray. Teru or not, mouthwash is mouthwash!)

There was a cute part where the audience mimicked little diddies that Teru would sing (interactive singing! fun stuff) Mainly like Whoooa~ whoaaa~. And clapping together to a beat. I think it was for American Innovation and for Starless Night.

The highlight of the night for me was Shutter Speed no Teema (I am a Jiro fan ALL THE WAY). He was SO into it!! He mainly stayed in the back part of the stage (kinda shy) but for this song he came to the front and took over the microphone and just stole the show!!!!!! AUGHHH!! Any Jiro fan would have been more than impressed and satisfied. Then he kissed his pick and threw it into the crowd... somewhere over my head. Sadness. But! I made a sign that said "San Francisco <3's onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PHvbkVuh2CI/SKkFzbl-ZII/AAAAAAAAAKk/H49fzf0Ra6A/s1600-h/IMG_0122.JPG">
The Fillmore is super nice and gave out free posters. I will treasure mine for as long as I live! It was cool, I heard a Fillmore staffer say that he didn't know too much about Glay but that he wanted a poster because it 'just looked so freaking cool'. Right on!

Thanks so much, Unni for the tickets and the rest of the weekend (massages, okonomiyaki, and just one on one sister time), I'll never forget it. It was always a dream of our's to see Glay live before you got married. Looks like we did it just in time! (We saw them RIGHT before you got engaged! Omedetto!)

Okay, so yea, I was hooked, and loaded with birthday money to spend on frivolous things, like, say... another Glay concert! So after I visited my family for the week, I was back in LA anyways... so WHY NOT. If I knew that they were in LA and I didn't see them, I'd poop my pants angrily!! Lol (Not really.)

So this time it was a the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. I was going alone this time so I'm SUPER grateful it wasn't in the shady part of Hollywood! Whew~!

I opted for the concert on 8/16 (the finale)!

So at the House of Blues, if you eat there for dinner you don't need to have tickets for the show, you can just chill, listen to some music, and eat for $$$$$$$$. Anyways! HoB gets kudos from me, because they had really friendly and nice staff. And, they let line-people use their restroom (thank GOD). Here are some pics of the HoB:

Well, doors opened at 8 (concert started at 9) and I got in line around 430pm. I was waiting in line, and I saw my Korean TA!! Hahaha! She seemed a little flustered to see me, but hey, I don't judge! :) And I also saw... Rieko and Emi!! The 2 nice Japanese ladies who were next to me in line at the Fillmore!! They sure are dedicated groupies! They went to all 3 concerts! :D They were waiting since 9am. (AUGH. I wouldn't be able to do that, well, not by myself!)

We hung out before the show (they're SO SWEET). And my limited Japanese (which I learned from Glay songs, dorama's, manga and anime) helped me make friends!! How amazing!!! Hontou ni sugoi!!

Rieko-san & me

It was SO COOL. So around 6 I went inside to use the restroom, and I heard... GLAY REHEARSING. I was in awe! There was window next to the kitchens by the bathroom so I snuck over, and I watched them practicing for a little with this other girl who was there. It was AMAZING. Teru was singing and stretching, while the other 3 were standing and playing. I came in time to hear them practice "However". Wow. It was scary though, because Takuro looked up and saw us. We hid and looked back and he was just staring at us. Takuro-san, shitsurei shimasu! Demo Glay no renshuu honnnttoouuuuuu ni subarashii deshita... dakara I couldn't help myself!

Anyhoo! No cameras allowed, so I had to check mine in for $4! It's amazing that they can make money by not allowing people to bring stuff in. I got in!! YES!

I ended up in the moshpit area again, although I didn't really want to be there. I wanted to appreciate the music instead of screaming up and down. Well, a friend I met up with wanted to be there, so I stayed there for most of the show.

Of course, they didn't disappoint at all. MAN. And this time I got my tour tee shirt!! Yee haw!!

Here is the set list for the 8/16 concert:

1.VERB
2.YUWAKU
3.GLORIOUS
4.IKITEKU TSUYOSA
5.GIANT STRONG FAUST SUPER STAR
6.STARLESS NIGHT
7.AMERICAN INNOVATION
8.Lock on you
9.SORRY LOVE
10.HOWEVER
11.ROCK'N'ROLL SWINDLE
12.MERMAID
13.SHUTTER SPEEDS NO THEMA
14.PEAK HATESHI NAKU SOUL KAGIRI NAKU
15.BEAUTIFUL DREAMER

Encore
1.Winter,again
2.KUCHIBIRU
3.KANOJO NO "Modern..."
4.HIGHCOMMUNICATIONS

W-Encore
1.ACID HEAD

Let me just say, I went freaking whacko when they performed Mermaid. Freaking best song for them to perform. SWOON.

Personal failures/achievements at this concert:
-didn't catch Jiro's anything (pick or water bottle or nothing!) because he kept throwing to RIGHT in front of him (C'mon!!!)
-Teru spit on me (via his water spout)
-I saw Teru do his trademark mic hold with his pinky under the mic!! Well, Unni will know what I'm talking about! lol
-during Acid Head, Hisashi screamed out during the chorus!
-I saw Hisashi and Jiro jam together! WHOOOO~!

All in all it was great. Different from the Fillmore, but not a bad "different".

Costumes were the same, except I think Teru added a belt and Jiro changed his shirt (nice to know he's hygienic lol).

It was funny, there was a balcony on the side of the main standing area, so I walked over there (I was WAY too short I couldn't see anything without hopping around) and climbed up the side. SUPER PAINFUL. My arms are still sore from hoisting myself up for songs at a time. But then again, I impress myself with my strength! LOL

Fun facts:
-Rieko reads Teru's blog from his TeruMe Night sight, and he said that he wished that the foreign fans could come up to the front instead of the Japanese fans (because Japanese fans can see him at many other lives)
-Teru's blog makes a comment about how the writer for the sfweekly article only paid attention to Jiro and he seems sad about it! Maybe that's why he didn't like my sign at the Fillmore... ;P
-I left my sign for Glay at the Fillmore in their gift box. I hope they got it!
[the following are HoB perf. factoids]
-Glay's photographer, Ai, took a lot of pics of fans waiting in line. I saw her so I posed with my shirt (that reads "I <3 JIRO") and a peace sign while nonchalantly on my phone. HAHAH
-when Teru did the interactive singing thingie he went really low and made Santa Clause noises. hahaha
- they did TWO encores! Sweet!
- when they did High Communication Teru did arm movements like an "x" or something, which everyone did too. except for me, because I was holding onto the balcony hoping not to crush those beneath me. lol
-at the end of the second encore Teru said good night and started walking off the stage, and then he ran back on stage laughing at himself, he had forgotten to do the whole "hold hands and jump in the air thingie" that they do, cutie!

Whew. I'm beat. And I feel like I just relived the 2 concerts.

This tour was very important to me, because ever since I first became a fan it was DREAM of mine (and I'm sure for many other people too) to see them live. I was planning on going to Japan to see them, but luckily they came to me! :)

Jiro shaped my fashion sense and they shaped my music taste for my entire adolescence! It was so great to see them. I feel like I got to go back to the past and relive a truly great love that I had in life. People asked me how I liked the concerts and I say with all earnestly "I feel like something that was dead inside of me is alive again". Because with Glay, "I'm in LOVE".

I found a little time to update...

2008-05-17T13:08:00.001-07:00

Bonjour, tout le monde! I got into Marseille (a port-city in the southeast of France) today, and the weather was threatening storms so I did a quick tour of the town and then came back to update! :)

I am going to update by giving a synopsis of the best ways God blessed me on this trip... with the great friends I made!!

It started with Danielle and Afije, who came with me to London!

(taking a break at Regent's Park)

Justine!! My random roomie at the hostel! Super sweet, pretty and French!! Yahoo!! :)

My random roomie at the hostel in Salzburg, Mi-Seong-sshi! A super cool Korean lady who was traveling to research places for her job! :) Fighting!

Yosuke! An English teacher in Tokyo that I met at breakfast. We went hiking up to the fortress in Szg after buying yummy chocolate at the outdoor market :)

Two more random roomies in Szg (a lot of ppl came and went), 2 Chinese girls, Wei and Yuchie, studying BioChem... in France!! It was fun speaking in French with them!

I was walking by the Blue Danube in Vienna and I asked this lovely woman to take my picture... she ended up taking me to coffee afterwards! She didn't speak a word of English, but we somehow communicated. Ich liebe dich, Frau! <3

Torsten and Pia from Denmark that I met at the hostel in Berlin :D Pia and I were the only people who actually woke up in the morning hours for breakfast and I thought it was way awkward if we didn't sit together! She is super duper sweet!

Kristin and me in front of the UN in Geneva! I had such a blast with this chick... eating... chocolate, cheese and bread... and FLORALP. hahah

I also met some more people on the way to Marseille from Geneva. I met another Justine who works in Geneva but is originally from Lille. She works with children and it's fitting because she is so nice!! Then I met a very very very cute grandmother who lives in Marseille. We needed to make the same train transfer and we sat and talked together for most of the journeys. She used to be a dancer, latin-style! She liked talking about her time at the school of dance in Buenos Aires. I never asked for her name. <3

I've spent time and met so many great people in my travels, I really thank God for showing His love through them. I hope I did a little of the same for them.

More updates later!

EuroTour

2008-05-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi hi! This is where I'll be if you want to pinpoint it on a globe or something:

5/2-5/5: London
5/6-5/8: Salzburg
5/9-5/10: Vienna
5/11-5/13: Berlin
5/14-5/16: Geneva
5/17-5/19: Marseille
5/20: Bordeaux
5/21-5/25: Dordogne
5/26-6/2: Paris

Please pray for me! I'm doing some of this tour alone!!

Yea, this post is kind of pointless, but I'm going to excuse myself in advance for not being contact-able! <3

Le debut de la fin (The beginning of the end)

2008-04-27T01:31:00.001-07:00

Alors, c'est deja le temps de dire au revoir.

Dernierement, je trainais bcp avec mes amis, en faisant rien! haha Voila quelques photos:

Thursday night was the beginning of so much fun! I took my last final (3 hours of writing about phonology... ahh!) and then that night Eric, Dominique, Urko, Daniel and I went to a pub for karaoke night! :)

Les adultes (minus Daniel)

Eric secretly signed Urko up to sing a song together! haha "Mexiiiiiiiiiiiiico!"

Look at all the people! One big happy group!

getting ready for my debut! haha

Eric sang "Toulouse" and made the whole house cry b/c it was so beautiful :')

Me and my non-alcoholic beverage. Diabolo a la pomegranate. Mmmmm! (Thanks, Urko!)

Highlight of the evening!!!!!!!!!! Dominique and Eric... PAROLES!! All the practice definitely paid off! :)

Then on Friday, I took Katie to my favorite kebab place!

You can see Renoan in the mirror, lol.

Renoan and me! He is one of the nicest owners/kebab makers! (And one of the BEST!)

Then I met up with Narcine to go shopping... aka go into EVERY SINGLE shop on la rue St. Catherine!! hahah

I think I'll buy a hat like that when I get back to the States, what do you think?

Friday night... billiards tournament!! Haha

We each picked a sponsor. I don't own much brand clothing, so I stuck a plastic bag to my shirt. I am sponsored by the biggest book store in France... MOLLAT! Whoooo!

The trophy!!! :D (Not the actual prize)

Tom is only 7, but he is GOOD! And isn't he so cute??? :D

Results: Eric, Max, Tom, and me! HHA I didn't think I would, since I am a newbie, but Dylan lost because he kept pocketing the eight ball. HAHAHA

Next day, I started off the day at St Michel market! This time with Katie!

THE FIRST TIME I WORE SANDALS! AHHH!!! My toes felt so... freeeeeeee~!

Cathedral of St Michel. I love the ribbons.... <3

Thennnn I met up with Morgane (who does not like photos, so I didn't post any more pics of her)

Tea house! It was a nice little bar for tea and coffee! We stood and talked and watched over Cami, who works there, and who was having her ear talked off by a woman who was bored/lonely/liked complaining. The woman stayed there for 2.5 HOURS! AHH!! Cami, kudos to you! fyi, I had the Venitien (vanilla, with berries, mmmmmm)

random street concert

it was super duper hot so Morgane and I went to the "miroir d'eau" (mirror of water). For the first time I could walk in it barefoot!

the misting means that it's about to start up again!! (It's a nice place to just walk in the water. There were so many cute little kids!!!)

Morgane and I got soaked playing with the little kids, so we laid in the grass to dry off. :) Listening to drums, guitar, and people watching. It was great. See for yourself!

Then off to dinner! We went to my fave Ethiopian place, but it was reserved for a private celebration, but the owner walked us to an Indian resto, and BOY DID WE EAT. I am still full.

And now... I am waiting for my laundry to finish so I can go to church. :P (Just as funny as excuse as staying home from church to study, right?)

Until the next time!! And tonight is the finals of the billiards competition, so stay tuned!!! :D

The countdown begins... again... sort of... huh?!

2008-04-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the title, I am completely OUT OF IT. In English and French, I am completely unfit for communicating with people at the moment. Let's blame it on the fact that I sleep 1 hour a night! Too much hw? Too much partying? None of the above. In fact, I just lie there thinking... I'm leaving in less than 2 weeks. Holy COW.

I just bought my tickets for London to Salzburg and then to who knows where! Very exciting stuff! And scary at the same time!! Unfortunately, I also just realized that despite myself I fell in love with France. Even Bordeaux. The trams where you feel like you're going to suffocate. The disorganized school system. The toilets with no seats on them. The mean ladies who work at the cafeteria. I don't know how to feel. So I lie in bed wondering how I'm supposed to feel and what to do with the fleeting days...

I even feel depressed hanging out with my friends who I will soon say "au revoir" to. I want to enjoy my moments, but realizing that I'm TRYING to savor every second, remember every joke, it's tiring.

OKAY! That's enough of that! This is the regular dance of falling in love with a foreign place and with the people and then having to leave... it's not new.

Anyways, I have finished 2/6 finals!! Go me!! So far, I have gotten grades that make me happy, but I have a feeling the ones that are to come will not go as smoothly... :P Pray for me!

I just cleaned my room and I found all the presents I've been buying for you folks along the way... if anyone wants anything tell me now! Or else you get some random junk that I pick out.

Today at the gym I started to say "Bonjour" to all these random people instead of studying while elliptical-ing. Eye contact is so key here! If you didn't know, to make eye contact with someone here is the equivalent of saying "Hello" or, and sometimes this happens "Helloooooooo" ;)

Oh yes, so far people have asked me about which country has the hottest guys, etc... Well, I don't think one single country or city harbors all of the hotties of the world, but each place seems to have a distinctively beautiful feature. Let me explain: French people have GORGEOUS eyes, Italians have nice noses, Spanish people have the best proportions (tall and lean with legs up to there), and uh... that's as far as my general observations go. Donc, voila.

Okay, I should probably go and sleep. My one hour. Ha ha.

Oh yea! The Chaperts had a dinner party thing today and while I was not invited, I did get to speak with the guests and experience another authentic French evening! Whoo! (It is wide known that French dinner parties are the most exclusive events EVER. Not French? French, but not cool enough? Bonne chance.)

PS My love for France and my friends here is completely separate from my love for you guys and how much I miss you all. But yea. It's France. And they're French. You understand. :P (hahah jk!!)

April showers... or TEARS

2008-04-11T14:28:00.001-07:00

That's right! April is filled with tears, or SWEAT! I have so much work to do, it's crunch time folks!

I'll update one day... maybe! Until then catch up with me via facebook and my photos there!

Peace out!

A hiatus from food.

2008-03-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

HAHAH Due to popular demand I will refrain from talking about the f-word. ("Food", don't be dirty!)

Alors, aujourd'hui je suis allée au marché de St. Michel!! J'ai acheté beaucoup de cadeaux. =] C'est pour ça que je peux pas mettre des photos de mes achats, mais j'ai pris quelques photos du marché. Il y a du tissu, vêtements, sacs, chaussures, et de la végétation! C'est génial!

Comme la plupart de vous ne saviez pas, je suis un cours d'art ici à Bordeaux. Je suis, je pense, la seule étudiante qui ne spécialise pas en art. C'est dur, mais si si si amusant! haha J'ai fait des amis avec des types "artsy", et ils sont tous très sympa, particulièrement parce qu'ils savent que je suis une étrangère. En fait, une fille, Morgane m'a aidée en achetant et en trouvant tous les matériaux dont j'avais besoin. Elle est SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII gentille!!! Alors, je vous présente quelques "oeuvres". C'est franchement crotte-y, mais, ben... =P

Hier Morgane et moi avons eu une fête en faisant de l'art! Whoo! Elle a un apt... g é n i a l. (Comme tous lesquels français) Alors! Elle m'a permise d'utiliser ses outils... Morgane, merci!! Après avoir bu du thé de l'Egypt (mmm) nous avons commencé! J'ai fait un tableau qui est supposé d'imiter le style de Basquiat avec le thème du petit déjeuner. Alors, je comprends rien du tout de l'art moderne, alors, pardonnez-moi. LOL

D'accord, amusez-vous bien à ma galérie. ;)

**
Okay, so today I went to the market at St. Michel! I bought a lot of presents! =] Yea, so I can't put up pictures of what I bought, but I took some pics of the market. There were textiles, clothes, bags, shoes, and fresh foods! It was great!

Like most of you don't know, I'm taking an art class here in Bx. I am, I think, the only student who is not an Art major. It's hard, but so fun! I made friends with "artsy" peoples, and they are all so nice, especialy because they know I am from abroad. In fact, one girl Morgane helped me buy and find all the stuff I needed for the class. She is SOOOOO nice!!! So, I will show you some of my "works". It's seriously poopy, but yea...

Yesterday, Morgane and I had a little "art party"! Whoo! She has a kickycool apt! (Like all French apts) So, she let me use her tools (paints, paper, etc), Morgane, thank you!!! After having some Egyptian tea (mmm) we started! I did a painting that is supposed to imitate the style of Basquiat with the theme of breakfast. I understand nothing of modern art, so excuse me!!

Tea time!!

Morgane, the cutie!

She works hard!!

Okay, have fun at my gallery!! ;)

Okay, so here is the breakfast pencil drawing (I got a so-so grade for this), and in the beginning I totally messed up on the Basquiat imitation. Prof. Garcia told us it was "technique libre" (free style) so long as it was modern. Well, he lied! It was supposed to imitate the artist.

Here's my mess-up. Bof.

here is my Basquiat. eh heh...

Okay! It's REALLLLY gorgeous today, so off I go to the Jardin Public avec Katie! :) A +!

l'argot français [French slang]

2008-03-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

les aléas de la vie : twists that life throws at you (usually positive)

une crevette : literal- shrimp, slang- 1) a wimpy/non-buff guy, 2) someone who has a nice body but a not so good looking face [comes from the fact that you rip off the heads of shrimp when you eat them, LOL]

un tombeur / une tombeuse : a lady-killer / a hot mamma

patati-et-patata : 'blah blah blah'; 'and so on, and so forth'

une peau de vache : literal- the skin of a cow, slang- a mean girl
*NB* it's equally mean to use it! :P

un loup dans le nez : literal- a wolf in the nose, slang- a booger
*NB* typically used by very young children

Le fromage de Savoie

2008-03-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Alors, juste sud de Genève, dans les Alpes, au côté français, se trouve Savoie. Une région qui produit du fromage… DELICIEUX. J’avais de la chance d'en goûter ce soir au diner. Mon favori c’est le Beaufort !! MIAM MIAM. Et il y avait aussi le Reblochon, et puis Tomme le Savoie. Tout est bien. C’était marrant, parce que Dominique a commandé Eric d’aller au frigo pour m’apporter le fromage. Ils savent que J’ADORE LE FROMAGE. Je pense que le fromage et le pain me manqueront le plus quand je reviens. (A part de mes amis, bien sur ! haha)

Okay, so just south of Geneva in the Alps, on the French side, is Savoy. A region that produces cheese... it's DELICIOUS! I was lucky enough to try some tonight at dinner. My favorite was the Beaufort!! YUMMY YUMMY. And there was also the Reblochon et also Tomme le Savoie. Everything was great. It was funny because Dominique made Eric go to to the fridge to bring me the cheese. They know that I LOVE CHEESE. I think that I'm going to miss cheese and bread the most when I go back. (Apart from my friends, of course! haha)

For my mom!

2008-03-19T15:39:00.001-07:00

Hi all! This post is for you all of course, but especially for my mother!
Umma, you wanted me to post pics of the new shoes and bag I just bought! (They are for school, okay???)

And voila~! Okay! I am trying not to go on Internet too much because my French has gotten worse, and I will see all you lovely people in 2 months, anyways!

But before I go, I saw August Rush tonight and it was awesome!!! I was so surprised! And the music... PHENOMENAL! WOW!! So incredible it was credible!! (It was followed by French and English slang lessons with Pierrick, haha)

Tomorrow night... more Ethiopian food! And hopefully photos this time! =]

<3,
Michelle

I love Korean food!

2008-03-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, like the title indicates I LOVE KOREAN FOOD!!! <3

My host family had never had Korean food so I happily agreed to introduce them! The only problem: I don't know how to cook it. -_-;;

With the help of Ian's google search, the Food Network website, and DaeGon I found a recipe for Korean Barbecue. Then I hit another stump, short rib meat needed for this dish does not exist in France! haha I even called a Korean restaurant in Paris to ask them how to say the name of the meat in French. I first started talking in Korean and the person says "I don't speak Korean" and so I switched to French. And then they say "Even though our restaurant is called Korean BBQ we don't really have any..." WHAT?! HAHAHAHA I started laughing at them. They should call it NOT Korean and NO BBQ restaurant.

Anyways! Eric (host dad) bought some super thick meat which I had to chop up into tiny pieces and dunked it in the marinade. I found a lot of good ingredients that are hard to find (like Asian pears and sesame oil) at a local Asian grocer's! Lucky! I also found sticky rice, dakkwang (pickled radish), kimchee (which was SUPER sweet, so not up to a Korean spicy standard-- but my host mom said it was spicy!), and kim (dried seasoned seaweed, yum!). It was great!! I had so much fun being in the kitchen again. Don't scoff, for those of you who have lived with me, I am not a master in the kitchen I know, but cooking is so nice! It was getting to be like dorm food where you just sit and wait for the food to come. So I let the meat marinate over night, and then last night it was time to cook!! Whooo!!!

I actually did a really dumb thing too! I was going to cook the rice first because I had never used their rice cooker (but super lucky they had one!) and I didn't know how long it would take, so I washed it and put it in the cooker. But I didn't want to leave the cooker on for too long since I was about to go to the gym, so I decided to let it sit. When I came back 1.5 hours later the rice absorbed all the water!! haha But this is how we learn, so I just laughed it off. Besides, the rice was SO GOOD.

So yes! They really really liked it! I was surprised! Tom (the 7 year old) actually ate the kim and Dominique (host mom) didn't believe it. And Dominique ate most of the dakkwang, she kept making fun of it earlier saying that it was a pineapple or a banana or something, and then she couldn't stop eating it. Haha. Eric LOVED the kimchee and the kim. (I showed them how to make kim-bahp! mmmm), and Dylan (13 year old) said the meat was "hyper bon" (HAHAH). And I was just content with the rice. MMM. So I bought 2 kg of rice (I WAS going to be cooking for 7 people who eat a LOT, myself included, I mean it's RICE), and Eric was like "Why 2 kg? 1 Kg serves 40 people at my restaurant". Oh yes, but Eric, this is not French rice, this is Asian rice! But just to not freak him out, I only cooked about 5 cups of rice... they all got mad at me for not cooking enough!! haha So I ended up cooking 1 kg (8-9 cups of rice) for the whole evening. Ya hoo!

So I guess I'm learning how to cook Korean food in France.

Oh and they had chopsticks, so that completed my happiness.

RICE!!!!!!!!! BAHP!!!!

Hello, Kim!

Cooking the meat... at the time I thought, "at least it smells good" haha

CHOPSTICKS!!! tee hee!

HAHAH =)

--

The night before (aka the night I marinated the meat) I went to my friend Jenny's birthday party, which was a dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant. Never been to one... but... I will definitely go again! And I already looked up places in LA and SF for when I go back home. It was SO GOOD. You eat with your hands! So they set down a plate with a tortilla-like circle sheet (it was very soft yet sturdy! I was surprised at how well it kept together) with meat with spices and sauce (MMM) and salad. Then there was another plate of the tortilla sheets. You rip off pieces of those and you use those to pick up the meat and salad, and you wrap it up and pop it in your mouth for HEAVEN. It was sooo good!!!! And then for dessert, one of Jenny's friends bought her a cake, and it was like nothing I've ever tasted before!! It was chocolate, with cream and a crunchy rice cake (like KitKat) layer... oh man. Yea, this is why I joined the gym. ;P

Jenny et moi <3

(Sorry! I didn't take any pics of the food!)

More updates later! And maybe about stuff other than food. Maybe not. ;)

When in Rome, or Bordeaux...

2008-03-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am SO out of touch with where I am! So, for you lovely folks in the States it was Daylight Savings! My computer automatically changed one hour ahead... but my host family has been running on the same schedule and no one here said anything about this major clock event! Hmm... I finally inspired myself to google it. Daylight savings for the European Union is the LAST Sunday in March!! HAHAHAH

And I clicked on one of those links that pop up when you sign into AIM because I was taking a quick break from studying (ALL DAY I'VE BEEN READING AHHH), and I found out Heath Ledger passed away last month! I can't believe it! :'(

So yes, those have been my recent revelations.

Back to studying! Haiii yah!

Miam miam.

2008-03-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

Buon giorno!! Fresh from Italy, and... with my laptop! =D Let us rejoice and sing together!! La dee dee dahhhhhh!!

Let's see! Italy was great, but more than the monuments and ancient Roman ruins I loved Deda and her family!!!!! They are the nicest, sweetest, most knowledgeable about everything, best cooking bunch of lovely people I have EVER met. Thank you so much for everything, I can never thank you enough. =]

Mario e Rosaria. <3

Deda!

Mario e mi

Marioooo!!

Mario e Deda :)

Loving and cute, to boot! =D

I learned some Italian too!! Maybe that will be the next language I try to learn! =D Pancha mia fati capana! Mmmm!

I am going to do a major blog on Italy, but since I just took a midterm, let us save that for later.

Oui, it was my first test in Bordeaux! Go me! Too bad I FAILED it. It was a freewrite for an hour on the subject the professor chose, and she chose this prompt that was SO BROAD I wasn't satisfied with any of the vague responses I came up with. Sigh. It was the worst piece of writing I have ever authored. For shame!! Wahhh!!

Oh yes! Let me show you some wonders of France! Today for lunch I ate a kebab frites, translated as heaven with fries! haha Kebabs here aren't meat on sticks, they are sandwiches! The meat is put around a rod, and cooked by spinning on its axis, then the cook razors off slices of meat, and sticks in veggies, and FRIES and sauce... mm!! I have a favorite place called Oasis. It's a tiny stand I pass by on the way to the tram, and I like it because the guy realllly takes his time with sandwich so I know he puts all his love and tender care in it.

The fries made the kebab too big for my mouth, so I took some out to eat later... When that time came I put cheese on them... oh, not just any cheese (c'mon I'm in France), behold...

CAMEMBERT CHEESE FRIES!!! :D

(It was a biyatch trying to eat though! The nuts were falling into my sleeves and stuff! HAHA)

OH! Just in, one of my blogger fans has sent in a request. Yes, let's see, from Mr. Kono in LA: "I want more random stories. "

And so be it!! I never disappoint fans, or bored students in dinkie lectures!! WHOO!

So my first class of the day was my Greek/Latin roots class, where the prof is an actual grammarian. She collected some of our papers last week, so she was about to hand them out and she says: "Vous ecrivez vraiment comme des cochons" (You all really write like pigs)

HAHAHAH Great way to start the morning!! haha Usually she picks on me and reads my papers out loud, but today she smiled as she handed me my paper and said "Tres jolie" (Very nice) YAYYYY!!! (My paper was on heartbreak... yes, very jolie! haha)

I feel like posting pics. Facebook is where my BIG photo albums are, but here is where I will tell more detailed narratives and stuff! Yee haw!

Hmm... seeing as this post is very gastronomical, I think I will continue with it! Sorry if this makes you people salivate! (Note to self, don't read this blog on an empty stomach! Tee hee)

TODAY'S SPECIAL : ITALIAN CUISINE!!!

So after our first pilgrimage through the charming town of Fondi, Deda and I went to the patisserie (aka my heaven on earth) and then to Sidis... the super market!! (ALWAYS make it a point to go to super markets when you travel! Gives such a profound insight to local life!) Here I will share pictures of the ambush we did on a whole plate of desserts (that we vanquished)!

Here we unwrap the thing from its pretty package!

Why, hello!

Naked and free at last to be DEVOURED.

Let's see... starting from the top:
the bronze ball is 'Mont Blanc' with chestnut frosting on top and meringue and whipped cream inside (takes 12 hours to prepare!)
1st column aka furthest left (going down):
flaky bread with yellow cream inside and powdered sugar on top, cookie sandwich with buttery whipped cream, with chopped hazelnuts and powdered sugar on top
2nd column aka the middle (going down):
beignets (x2) with hazelnut cream inside and on top
beignet with dark chocolate inside and on top
3rd column aka furthest right (going down):
beignet with white cream filling, flaky pastry called 'Lobster' with chantilly cream inside (Deda's fave!)

Miam miam.

Eccolo!

And more pictures of more dessert (at a restaurant called La Magnatora-- literally meaning "place to eat" in dialect, Deda's family and I went to eat here my last night in Italy... DELICIOUS and UNFORGETTABLE. Ti amo!)

Rosaria got the Tiramisu. I don't even like Tiramisu and I wanted to eat some of it!

Deda ordered the Pana Cotta with berries! Mm....

I ordered what I thought was a fruit tart, but it was BETTER! Berries and Spanish bread!! It was moist and squishy and oh so wonderful...

And now for some pictures I took at another super market (not Sidis)! Enjoyyyy!!

Here are some veggies after all those sweets! haha

Look at the Zucchini's!! Like balloons!! So cute!!

Mmmm eggplants...

This was the Frozen Food section! Isn't that cute?! There was a woman who bagged whatever you asked for!

Do you see those smiley faces in the bottom of the picture? I tried to take a picture of them and the lady was like "NOOOO!" haha Well we bought them and ate them anyways! They are potatoes!!! :D

I'm not sure if you suckers, I mean, people in America know about it yet, but Ferrero Rocher now has the new box of Ferrero Garden!

t comes with the new flavors of strawberry, hazelnut,

pistachio, almond,

and coconut! (Coconut is the only one I haven't tried since I'm not a fan of coconut candies)

But yes, please try them! They are covered in white chocolate, drizzled in cream of the flavor you choose with filling! Miam miam!

Whew! Okay, time to run! This post was pretty lengthy!!

-Michelllleey

PS Since people always ask: today's weather was schizo: sunny, windy, rainy, hail, and now it's just plain freezing. =] Come visit!

The waiting continues...

2008-02-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

So! The French customs wrote back saying the scans I sent were FUZZY. No laptop until March I guess. Sigh. I am sending photocopies tomorrow. The waiting continues...

BUT! No matter because... I am going to ITALIA mañana!! Tee hee!!!!! =]

So excited!! Please pray that everything goes well! Tomorrow I take a train to Paris, where I take the plane to Rome! Whew!

Here is a funny story about France which also makes you appreciated America, haha:

I went to the movies last night. The movie was playing in theater 6. So I follow the sign from the lobby to theater 6. It leads me to a staircase. I went running for an hour yesterday, so I was not happy. But up I went, the STEEP stairs. I see the sign for theater 6. Leads to a door that leads... to MORE STAIRS. While cursing the French under my breath I climb the stairs... and I reach... MORE STAIRS. I am not even kidding. I followed 4 signs that indicated theater 6, to 4 different flights of stairs. Fun times.

Side note: the movie was less than stellar. (it was Jumpers, aka Another Movie with No Premise...) I mainly went to hang out with those cool peeps (Narcine & Pierrick!! and I met Olivier & Sophie--?) from the English Club! haha (no worries, I am still speaking in French! yeaa!)

Alrighty! Today I ate a KEBAB. A REAL KEBAB. Not those meat sticks. It's a pita bread with carved meat and veggies and FRIES inside!!! SO GOOD!!!!!!!!! MMMMM!! This was my 2nd one and far better (and cheaper) than the first one I ate! (advice: ask for ketchup as your sauce, white sauce = poo)

Okay! I will miss you all and be thinking of you while I eat gelato on the Spanish steps like Audrey Hepburn!

KISSES!!

-Michelle

I am the computer lab hobo.

2008-02-19T06:44:00.001-08:00

Hello my loves!

So! Update on my laptop, haha. They want a copy of my student ID cards, the receipt of the repair that happened in the US, and proof that I live in Bordeaux. SCREW YOU FRENCH CUSTOMS PEOPLE!!! GIMME MY LAPTOP!!!! wahhhhh!!!

In short, I find myself in the usual spot : the computer lab. Someone near me has dowsed his or herself in a very pungent scent. That will definitely help my headache! Haha =P Anyways! I am the computer lab hobo. Please give me money.

Oh yea! I AM GOING TO ITALY ON FRIDAY!!! I am so excited! Thank you soooo much to Unni and Deda for the hook ups!! I am so excited!!! Arrivederci, France!

What else has happened lately? Hmm... I keep waking up in a good mood and it just goes downhill. Why can't I be bubbly anymore?! (I think I just need my good old iTunes.)

I'm reading Tristan and Isolde (in Old French) and it is soooo interesting! I can't make up my mind whether I like it or not. At least it is interesting enough where I feel it's not a chore to read. (I am also reading Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice and the Cid, simultaneously in French. So right now, I think Mr. Darcy is in love with Jane Eyre... right?!)

I am now attempting to be a calm, lady-like woman.

Oh yea, there was a mini-dilemma, because my flight from Rome to Paris comes in after the last train from Paris to Bordeaux, so I need to stay the night in Paris. (I couldn't rearrange my flights, sadly) Yay for friends in Paris! Diana is on vaycay, and Guillaume is in Italy (figures) BUT he found me a friend to stay with! So all is happy happy (grazie, signorino)

Which reminds me, I saw Annie (my old French tutor)! We met up at this super cute café on la Rue Camille Sauvageau! There was a show (a guy who was doing storytelling)! I will just say, it was something unlike anything I have ever seen. Annie was laughing, I think I was snickering. It was about a giant who cuts down trees, and then has babies with a tiny woman, and she has 2 big giant babies, and 1 tiny baby. Then, it was time to leave. So that is all I got for you! Sorry!

Oh, dear!!! The person next to me has a whale wallpaper on her computer!! Why do all the students here choose THAT one?! There are plenty of other wallpapers.... SHUDDER.

Alrighty, this post is uneventful! So I will leave you!!

Kisses!

-Michelle

I need a hug, and not an inadvertent one from that guy on the tram...

2008-02-15T23:51:00.000-08:00

Good morning! It's 851am here in the city of Bordeaux, France! My first entry in English! Yay!

Due to popular demand, I have started a blog! I was originally going to start it after I got my laptop, but it looks like that is going to take some time, so hello from the home of the Chaperts! =)

Alright! I have been here for 1 month and 10 days! WOW! And I think I JUST reached the point of adjustment! (To each his own pace, okay?!)

I am having a bit of insomnia (went to bed at 2 and woke up at 8, bummer) so I thought I would write in this blog.

Here is a funny aside that will show you a bit of the difference between where you are and where I am:

The Utility of Newspapers on the Bordeaux Tram

Every morning I take the tram to the university 'campus' (the universities here look like a cross between high schools and Chabot, well at least my uni does-- I go to Bordeaux III, aka Anarchy City, but they are all so nice I'm not afraid of them, I may become one myself) and it is JAM packed. There is nothing I have ever seen like it, except for stuffing clowns in a car! Or that one Snickers commercial! It's CRAZY!! You are literally just smushed together. One morning three trams passed me before I could get into one (and I was the last one in, and only because I shooovvveeddddd). Okay! Back to the relevance of the title. There are newspapers stands around the tram stations, it's great, everyone is always reading together on the way to school! :) Anyways I always take one from the (sometimes smiling) paper person, and I chirp 'Bonjour' and 'merci', happy to get my shield. Yes, SHIELD!! Haha Je vous explique ('I'll explain' pronounced: Zeu vooz ekspleek) One morning on the tram I was smushed against this one man, who regrettably smelled less than fresh, and who was taller than me, so every time he exhaled (his smoker breath) through his nostrils and mouth I could feel it on my hair. Ewee!! So I took my handy dandy newspaper and covered my head. HAHA

Episode 2, last night on the tram ride to church I grabbed a sports newspaper (not that I'm interested, because there is no baseball here in France, boo) I was flipping through it, and I saw this guy... treasure hunting in his nose! EWEE!! He was seriously going at it. O_O I was so groddied out I had to block him out of my line of vision with the newspaper.

So, yes, read the newspaper. Especially on the tram.

So! It's true! The French greet with kisses on the cheek! (Do not actually plant one on their cheek unless you mean to, and usually not during a greeting, unless it's family it seems) At first, I was so a wk a rd , but now I am almost pro! It's funny, French students are very careful because they know I'm American so I usually initiate (with girls!). But, they are not big on hugs here. Which to me, is like a breath of life!! I would like a hug and not an inadvertent one from that guy on the tram. Haha! True story, I was in a (not so) romantic embrace with a mysterious man on the tram because it was so crowded! Haha (And yes, ladies, French men are very lovely to be smushed against. Well, most.)

That's another thing! The men here! MINCE! ('Dang!' pronounced manse- silent e at the end) So stylish and well-groomed! My friend from the EAP program (who I actually met at the airport before I got to France, but that's another story) Katie and I believe that French men are not better looking than American boys but that the fact that by middle school they wear pea coats and when they're older have BEAUTIFUL eyebrows, it enhances class. SO! Yea. (I have yet to see a baggy college sweater. Although, I have seen sweats... quelle horreur! :P)

Wow. Am I covering all the bases yet? Oops. I forgot. My friend Isabel inspired me to write this also for the sake of my parents! So here is a bit about me: I am fine! I feel so much happier lately now that classes have started and I have made friends. :) Even when I was miserable here I could always see that you were supporting me, and that you offered me this fantastic opportunity to study in France, so I will do my best. I love you, Umma and Appa!

So how was everyone's VALENTINE's DAY??? :D Yes, they do celebrate it here, Christa. Lol
I handed out candies (yes, not even the French can stop me from handing out candy) and was in a happy happy mood! Why? It's le jour de l'amour (day of love)!!! <3 Haha, okay I'll stop. Yea, I felt pretty single, BUT it was so great! On my way home from school I saw hordes of men running into bakeries holding bouquets of flowers with bottles of wine in a bag (the paucity of commas means this actions was completed simultaneously by one guy haha). So cute! Sigh, I love that stuff.

That night, I went to the Central, a pub/bar near Gambetta (near the centre-ville, a prettier part of town) with some people from the English Club at school. Hey! No judging! I spoke in French for most of the evening while they spoke in English. My gosh, if my French were as good as their English... that's my goal! Anyways, we all sang karaoke haha! I sang Come On Over Baby (by C. Aguilera, bien sûr! <-- 'of course', pro. : bee-ahn sioor) with Narcine, the girl who invited me and also a karaoke fiend! She is so funny! Mostly everyone sang a song (LAURENCE, la prochaine fois, tu chanteras une chanson, avec ou sans une boisson!) very fun! Let's see there was Narcine, Laurence, Pierrick, Michaël, Guillaume, Marlène, Chloe, Mariad (sp), Rachel, and me! It was nice to get out and relax, classes are so stressful. Well, not the classes, but choosing them! Haha, Seriously, embrace online registration and required classes. Right now, I am trying on classes like clothing (and none of them fit quite right).

Last night there was a lovely dinner at church and a great message! The passage was from Matthew 7: 13-14. (Go read it!) The message was geared towards people who would like to know more about accepting Christ, but I think even believers should hear the message. I am at a point where I am wondering if what I want and what God wants is the same. I am meeting so many new people who are so different (so far, I made friends with a Rasta girl, a Communist/Socialist, etc) and I wonder how I can be myself and at the same time be tolerant and not all haughty? (I always have to make sure I'm not looking down on others, and at times if I am or not or ahhh) Oops. You got a glimpse into my complex thoughts. But yea, whew!

Mmm.../Awww!! I just finished the last of my Bordeaux cookies that Unni sent me! (Thank you SOOO much for the care package, I love snacks and magazines and the ring-- I wear it everyday on my cross necklace!) When I get mi portati ('laptop' in Spanish haha) I will call youuuu!!! MUAH MUAH!!! (oh yea, say 'bonjour' to Sabu for me, please!)

Alrighty! I have been writing for more than half an hour! I hope I am not completely boring you, a girl needs to keep a bit of mystery! ;)

GROSSES BISES (BIIIGGGG KISSESSSSS),

Michelle, Elley, Jini, Jini-boo, whatever you call me behind my back

--edit--

here are some photos from aforementioned Valentine's Day:

Narcine et moi!

Marlène, Pierrick, Michaël, et Narcine. of course it's a Celine Dion song! =)

Guillaume and of course, Narcine ;)

Je voudrais mi portati!

2008-02-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

Bonjour! Il est presque 130 du matin, mais j'ai pas envie de m'endormir, alors... j'ai décidé de commencer mon blog! Je voulais le faire après avoir reçu mon laptop, mais on ne sait jamais quand ça se passera, alors!

Je suis allée à un dîner à l'église à Pessac. C'était un repas Agape- génial! Je me suis amusée bien. Oh que le fellowship me manque beaucoup!

Il y a un myriade de choses que je veux raconter, mais, ben, je suis fatiguée! Alors, vous devez attendre! haah Oui, je sais que c'est nul de moi! :P

Bises,
Michelle